How did the Royal Navy recover Fleet Air Arm pilots who came down at sea?
Short answerIt used Walrus and Sea Otter amphibians when possible, with destroyers and sometimes cruisers also carrying out rescues.
NotesFleet Air Arm crews relied on a layered but improvised recovery system. Supermarine Walrus and Sea Otter amphibians could land near survivors and collect them when conditions permitted. Destroyers, and occasionally cruisers, also diverted to recover aircrew from the sea. Carrier striking power depended on preserving scarce trained personnel after losses as well as launching aircraft.